Curtain-fixture.



No. 744,861. PATENTBD NOV. 24, 1903..

H. H. PORSYTH. CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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ivrrnn Starts Patented November 24, 1903.

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I-IENRY II. FORSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEV JERSEY.

CURTAINMFIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,861, dated November 24, 1903.

Application led July 13,1901. Serial No. 68,216. (No model.)

To LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FORSYTH, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

Curtain-fixtures are usually employed in connection with spring-actuated curtains, such curtains being mounted upon rollers containing springs which tend to constantly rotate the roller, and thus wind or roll up the curtain. When used with curtain-fixtures having friction holding devices, the usual pawl or dog for restraining the winding-up tendency of the spring is omitted, so that the spring of the curtain-roller constantlyexerts its winding-up tendency. The effect of the spring, moreover, is to keep the curtain taut at all times and to assist in raising it, whether the friction devices be withdrawn from holding contact or whether the curtain be'adjusted by force applied to its lower edge. Heretofore these holding devices have been constructed in such manner that they required some manual operation to release the friction or sufficient force applied to the curtain t0 overcome both the friction holding device and the pull'of the shade-roller spring when the curtain is lowered. Furthermore, these holding devices usually depend for their efficiency upon outwardly-thrusting springs mounted within the hollow of the shadestick or otherwise associated with and hearing directl y upon the friction shoes, blocks, wheels, or other contacting and friction-producing parts. In other words, the holding devices have hitherto been dependent upon some force or power additional to and different from the pull of the curtain-roller spring to make them exert their holding function.

I have conceived a curtain-fixture employing al holding device which is brought into action or rendered operative by the pull of the spring of the curtain-roller and which will automatically release as soon as the pull of the curtain-roller spring is overcome. In this sort ofvfixture the outwardly-thrusting spring merely holds the friction device in such relation to the window-frame that this friction device is rendered operative by the upward pull of the spring.

My invention may be embodied in a great variety of forms of construction; but the most efficient form will be that wherein friction devices in the form of blocks or shoes are so mounted as to come into action when the curtain is stationary or is being raised and which will release automatically as the curtain is drawn down.

My invention is preferably embodied in a curtain-fixture having suitable retracting means, such as connecting wires, sliding rods, and pendants orpinch-handles; but the function of the spring is merely to hold the head up against the frame and to maintain the friction-shoes in operative relation thereto.

In the accom panying drawings Ihave shown several forms of embodiment of my invention, and it will be understood that these are'representative and illustrative, 'and that still other forms may be employed within the scope and spirit of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partlyin section, showing one corner of a window shade or curtain, a portion of the shade-stick and the holding device,and showing the frictionshoes in holding engagement with the frame of the window. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing in thefull lines the holding-shoes in the release position, the dotted lines indicating the holding position. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l,showing a modification wherein three holding-shoes are applied. Figs. 4. and 5 are Views showing a further modification wherein a single long holding-shoe carried by pivoted parallel links is employed and showing the holding and release positions, respectively.

In the drawings let l0 represent the curtain and 1l the usual curtain-stick.

12 represents a sliding rod mounted within the curtain-stick and carrying a head 13, whose shank 14 enters the hollow of the stick, and 15 is a coiled spring exerting an outward thrust or pressure upon the shank. The head itself, as shown, is in the form 'of a hollow metal box and carries at its extremities and in its open side the antifriction-rollers 16. This head is adapted to bear upon the window-frame, and to thereby serve as a guide to the fixture in its up and down movements, retaining the same in proper position.

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These antifriction-rollers serve the purpose in my present construction of assisting to guide the iixture smoothly in its travel up and down and reduce to some extent the resistance to its movement 'and also assist to some extent in enabling the fixture to right itself in case the curtain-stick is canted r tilted from a horizontal position.

The holding device, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, consists of a friction-shoe 17 in the form of cams pivoted at 18 between the jaws of the head and having its acting face projecting beyond the opening of the head, so as to contact with the window-frame. This acting face is preferably slightly curved and is rounded at the corners. The shoe vprojects to such distance beyond the opening of the head, and the latter is heldin such relation to the Window-frame (indicated at 19) that the upward pull of the spring of the curtain-roller will result in causing the upper rounded corner of the shoe to bite into or engage the bottom ot' the groove of the Window-frame with sufficient power to overcome the strength of the shade-roller spring and cause the curtain to be held in the adjusted position. The

y shoes are eccentrically pivoted and are adapted to rock, so that their upper corners will engage for holding, while a downward pull upon vsus ative position.

the curtain will cause release, the faces of the shoesassuming a position in parallelism with the frame in the construction shown. The acting face of the shoe might be of other form. The heads carrying the shoes are capable of being retracted by means of the rods to such an extent as to withdraw the shoes from holding contact. The release is automatic, and when effected the rol-1ers, if the latter be employed, are in bearing contact with the bottoms of the grooves, whereas in the upward movement they may be, and preferably are, so disposed that when the shoes 17 are in holding contact with the windowframe the rollers are out of touch with the bottom of the'groove. In order'to limit the rocking movement of the shoes, stop-pin 20 20a may be employed. The same principle of operation and substantially the same mechanical construction are shown in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein a single long shoe 21 is employed, carried by the swinging parallel links 22, the links being pivoted to the head and also to the shoe. In this construction when the curtain is to be adj usted if retracting means be used and the shoes are moved out of contact with the bottoms of the grooves when the curtain is released the pull of the shade-roller spring instantly draws the shoes into Contact with the bottom of the groove, thus serving vas a brake to arrest the further movement of the curtain. This biting contact of the shoe will serve to move the head slightly and the rollers are, or may be, released from contact, as shown in Fig. 4E. In this construction stoppins 23 are also employed for the purpose of preventing the shoe passing into an inoper- During the downward movement of the curtain the light contact will throw the shoe upwardly, allowing the rollers to come into bearing, and thus removing all holding friction. Obviously the principle of operation is the same in each of these devices-viz., the pull of the curtain-roller spring operates to draw the movable frictionshoes into holding engagement with the bottoms of the grooves automatically, and upon the downward movement of the curtain the shoes are automatically released from holding engagement as soon as the pull of the curtain-roller spring is overcome.

I claim- 1. A holding device for spring-actuated curtains, comprising in combination a curtain-stick, guiding heads carried by said stick and movable friction-shoes carried by said heads, and adapted to be drawn into aotion by the upward pull ot the actuatingspring, and to be automatically released from holding engagement by the downward movement of the curtain, substantially as described.

2. In a self-,releasing curtain-fixture, the combination of a curtain-stick, a guidinghead carried by the stick, a pivotal holdingshoe mounted upon said head and means for maintaining the shoe in close proximity to the window-frame, said shoe being` adapted to be rocked into holding contact with the frame upon the upward movement of the curtain and to be released-from holding contact upon the downward movement of the curtain, substantially as described.

3. In a curtain-fixture for spring-actuated curtains, the combination lwith a curtainstick, guiding-heads carried thereby and eccentrically-pivoted shoes mounted within said heads, and adapted to engage the windowframe above their pivotal points, substantially as described.

4. In a curtain-fixture for spring-actuated curtains, the combination with a curtainstick, heads carried thereby and having a sliding engagement therewith, springs normally'tending to thrust said heads outwardly andpivoted shoes mounted within said heads and adapted to be held in operative relation to the frame by the outwardly thrusting springs and to be drawn into holding engagement therewith by the curtain-actuating spring, substantially as described.

5. In a curtain-Iixture for spring-actuated curtains the combination with a curtainstick, heads having a sliding engagement therewith, springs arranged within the stick and pressing outwardly on said heads, rollers journaled in the heads and holdingshoes eccentrically pivoted in the heads, substantially as described.

- 6. lIn a curtain-ixture for spring-actuated curtains, the combination of a curtain-stick, heads slidingly mounted thereon, holdingshoes pivoted within said heads, and stops for maintaining said shoes in an operative position, substantially as described.

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7. In a cnrtain-xture, the combination with a spring-actuated shade, a stick secured thereto, of a guidinghead at the end of the stick, a pivoted cam at the end of the stick positioned to be moved outward longitudinally of the stick to be actively engaged with the window-frame upon the upward movement ofthe shade and released upon the downward movement of the saine and a spring` for actuating the cam.

S. In a curtain-fixture for spring-actuated curtains, the combination with a curtain, a stick thereon, a head on the stick, and a plurality of pivoted holding-cams positioned to actively engage the window-frame upon the upward movement of the stick.

9. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a spring-actuated curtain'and a stick thereon, of an elongated head on the end of the stick and pivoted cams in the head arranged one above and one below the center of the shoe, substantially as described.

lO. In a ixture for spring-actuated shades i stick, having curved antifriction-surfaces at opposite ends, a pivoted cam on the head positioned to actively engage the window-frame upon the upward movement of the head and to be released upon the downward movement of the same, and a spring' for normally forcing the cam outward.

12. In a holding-fixture for spring-actuated shades the combination with a guide and shade or curtain, of a stick carried by the shade or curtain, elongated heads at the end of the stick, independently-movable locking devices on the heads positioned to move outwardly longitudinally of the stick and upon the upward movement of the stick to automatically engage the guide and to be automatically released upon the downward movement of the stick, and means for positively releasing the said devices from engagement with the guide.

13. In a curtain-iixture for spring-actuated curtains, the combination with a curtainstick, a head carried thereby, a pivoted shoe mounted on the head, a spring tending to force the shoe outward and to normally hold the same in operative relation to the frame, and the said shoe being adapted to be drawn into holding engagement with the frame by the curtain-actuating spring.

HENRY II. FORSYTH. 

